The American Presidents in coins – A Retrospective

There have been numerous Presidents of the United States of America since the first, George Washington, in the 18th century.

With the presidential elections over, we take a look back at some of the previous American Presidents who have been commemorated in coin form.

Abraham Lincoln (1861 - 1865)

President Abraham Lincoln is one of the most well known U.S presidents. One of his biggest accomplishments, while in the White House, was the Civil Rights Act of 1866. This was a natural extension of his 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and other initiatives.

This act was designed to protect the rights of African-Americans and former slaves. It would later go on to lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement a century later.

To celebrate 150 years since this landmark legislation, an Ultra High Relief coin was released on behalf of the British Virgin Islands. This coin depicts the dramatic seated figure of Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

John F Kennedy (1961 - 1963)

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was America’s first Irish-Catholic President. JFK’s illustrious career began with serving in the military during World War II. Following this, he then went on to represent the Massachusetts’s 11th Congressional district in the U.S House of Representatives.

In 1960, he went on to defeat Richard Nixon to become America’s second youngest president. During his time in office, the name JFK was linked with a number of major historical events. These include the Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis, and the initiation of Project Apollo.

To mark 50 years since the death of JFK, Pobjoy released a special coin on behalf of the British Virgin Islands.

Barak Obama (2009 – 2017)

History was made on 4th November 2008, as Barak Obama became the first African American to become President of the United States of America. He was also the first president to have been born outside of the US.

Before beginning his political career Obama was a graduate of Harvard Law School and went on to become a professor of law at The University of Law in Chicago. While he was a lecturer here he was also worked as a lawyer for a Chicago Law firm specialising in Civil Rights.

In 1996, Obama launched his political career and was elected into the Illinois Senate. He later resigned from this position in 2004 to focus on his campaign for US Senate. This focus paid off as he was sworn into the US Senate in January 2005, where he became the 5th African-American senator in US history and the 3rd to be popularly elected. It was his popularity, which helped him earn the presidency in 2008.

Vanuatu released a special edition coin to celebrate the huge landmark in history of the presidency of Barak Obama. It seemed fitting that a coin be released on behalf of Vanuatu as the country and Obama have a lot in common. Just like Obama, Vanuatu is full of hope.

Mount Rushmore

If you can’t decide on which US President you want to remember, then this Mount Rushmore coin can help you celebrate the lives of four of the U.S’s most iconic presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture that has been carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. Danish-American Gutzon-Borglum, and his sons, sculpted this incredible piece. The construction of the 60-foot sculptures started in 1927, with the faces completed between 1934 and 1939. This astonishing piece has become an iconic symbol of presidential greatness and attracts almost 3 million visitors a year.

Following the success of previous High Relief coins, Pobjoy is delighted to produce this incredible coin on behalf of the British Virgin Islands. Not only does this coin celebrate four of the most iconic presidents of the United States, but also marks the 150th Anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.